Three is the Loneliest Number
by VideoJames
Summary: My first story. A story about a human girl and two pokemon who've had sad lives filled with rejection. Will they be able to find happiness and friends? Small periods of strong wording and violence.
1. Chapter 1 Alexa and The Lonely Pair

A/N This is my first story, so I hope you'll like it. It is the story of one person and two Pokemon with a sad past. This chapter is mainly just an introduction to the protagonists of the story and the beginning of their journey.

Chapter 1

Alexa is a young girl from the Alola Region. She lives in Hau'oliCity with her mother Cassandra, and the two couldn't be more alike. Both women have blond hair and blue eyes, and unfortunately, both have had struggles throughout their lives.

A few months after Alexa was born, her father had become deathly ill. No doctor could identify what was wrong with him. There was no sign of any disease or illness known, yet for some reason, his vitals were getting worse. On the day of Alexa's first birthday, her Father's illness became so overwhelming that he passed. Ever since then, Cassandra had been struggling to make ends meet. She had a decent job and tried to take as many hours as she tried to help out by getting a job to pay for her own needs. But no matter what, the two never seemed to have more money than they needed.

Alexa's life as a Pokemon trainer wasn't that great either. In the Alola region, when a child becomes eleven years old, they become eligible to participate in what is known as the island challenge, a custom unique to Alola. It is also at that age that those who participate in the island challenge choose their partner Pokemon, and in Alola, both trainer and Pokemon must choose each other as partners. When Alexa turned eleven years old, the first thing she did that day was go to Professor Kukui's lab and choose her Pokemon. However, it seemed that none of the Pokemon wanted to choose her. At first, she tried to choose Rowlet, the grass type starter, but it always turned its head so that it wasn't looking at her. Then, decided to try to choose Litten, the fire type, but that just got her burnt hair and a singed hat. When she moved on to Popplio, it was no different. The small water type seal just blew a large balloon in her face and purposely popped it, knocking her over.

Feeling sorry for Alexa, Professor Kukui said "Hey, ya know what? Not all Pokemon are the same. Sometimes even Pokemon of the same species react differently to certain things. So how's about every time a new Pokemon arrives here, I'll call you right away and you can come over and try to choose it as your partner. Sound good?"

Alexa immediately cheered up. "Yes! Thank you Professor!" she said.

"Your very welcome", Professor Kukui replied. After that day, every time the Professor got a new Pokemon, he called Alexa after her classes at the Pokemon school, and before work she would rush to the lab and attempt to choose the Pokemon as her partner. While the Professor was right that no Pokemon acted the same, the all ended up denying Alexa in the end. But she never gave up hope. She knew that one day, she would get a Pokemon and begin her island challenge.

=

In Alola, there is a place known as Ten Carat Hill. Many pokemon call this place home, including Rockruff, Yungoos, Grubbin, Rattata, Pikipek, and Pikachu. Most of the pokemon that live in Ten Carat Hill live their lives happy and carefree. However, there were two pokemon who did not live very happy lives in Ten Carat Hill, a Kirlia named Lina and a Mimikyu named Spectra. In Alola, the pokemon belonging to the Ralts evolutionary line were never seen, and Lina was the only one of her kind living in Ten Carat Hill. As a result, she never did have many friends and often felt like an outsider. Not to mention, Lina had a particularly rare ability that allowed her to read the minds of both people and pokemon. Because of this, many of the pokemon in Ten Carat Hill feared her and didn't believe she could be trusted.

Spectra, however, was another story entirely. There were many horrible rumors about Mimikyu. That they attacked random pokemon with no just reason, that they laid curses on those they disliked, and worst of all, that they murdered innocent Pikachu and wore their skin as a cloak out of hatred and jealousy. Unfortunately for Spectra, the Pikachu living in Ten Carat Hill seemed to love to spread these rumors. If they knew he was in earshot, it was all the electric mice ever talked about. Because of these rumors, the pokemon in Ten Carat Hill hated and feared Spectra when he came to live there. All of them except for Lina. Yes, she was scared when he first appeared because of the rumors, but she decided not live in fear of someone she didn't even know. Over time, she began to despise how the other pokemon spoke of Spectra.

"And I thought they treated me like Muk", she thought every time she heard someone trashing Spectra. She wondered how anyone could be so cruel to someone without even getting to know them.

Eventually, Lina decided to start standing up for Spectra. Every time she heard another pokemon disrespecting him, Lina would give them one chance and ask them nicely to stop. If they refused, she would scare them by predicting false prophecies about them, or influencing their thoughts to torment them. This tactic usually ended up scaring the pokemon so bad that they wouldn't even think poorly of Spectra for days. It never lasted though. They always went back to bullying Spectra and spreading the rumors. Then, one day, Lina saw something that pushed her over the edge.

 **UPDATE NOTICE:** Hey guys. So i figured it would be a good idea to merge chapters 1 and 2 since there wasn't really any need for them to be separate. Also, some of the chapters of the story may experience slight changes because i had to recover the documents, which is annoying.


	2. Chapter 2 Forest of Darkness

A/N Here's where the story begins to heat up for Lina and Spectra. This is gonna be the last chapter I write on the site for a while. I want to get it all written on paper before I roll the whole thing out to the public. I don't know when it will be finished considering I have school and other responsibilities, but I will try to get it up ASAP after it's done.

Chapter 2

It was Saturday, August 23, the day of Alexa's thirteenth birthday. "Today's the day! I'm finally going to get a pokemon! I know it!" she exclaimed. Yesterday, after school, the Professor had called Alexa to the front office. He had news he was sure she would want to hear immediately.

"Are you serious!? All three Pokemon were taken yesterday!?" Alexa asked, her voice almost reaching a squeal.

"Yeah, they did! It was like they were hit with attract!" Professor Kukui said. "So tomorrow you'll have three Pokemon to choose from. Sounds like a really lucky birthday to me". Because of her visits to the Professor's lab, the two had become good friends, so Alexa wasn't surprised that he knew tomorrow was her birthday. She was so excited after she had heard the news that right after she returned home from work, she went to her room, set her alarm for 6 AM, and went straight to sleep. And as she slept, she dreamt of tomorrow. She dreamt of her perfect birthday, the day she would finally get her pokemon.

=

Meanwhile, on Ten Carat Hill, Lina was taking a walk."I wonder where that Mimikyu is?", she thought out loud. Lina had begun to try to spend more time near him so that she could understand him better. She was hoping she would run into him so they could walk together.

Lina heard voices and crashes coming from a nearby clearing. She ran over and what she saw was horrific. A group of Pokemon led by Shocks, a Pikachu, were beating the Mimikyu into the ground. They had the poor Pokemon surrounded, and he couldn't even manage to try to move away from his attackers. The Pokemon were also adding insult to injury by calling the Mimikyu names that would have made even a Golem cry.

"Devil creature!" a pair of Rockruff yelled as they kicked and clawed at him.

"Filthy creep!" a group of Pikipek said as they pecked him from above.

The worst name, however, came from Shocks himself. "No good murderous cowardly two-faced trash!" This made something in Lina snap. She gathered up all of her power and lifted the Pokemon around the Mimikyu into the air. She then walked over to the Mimikyu and offered to help him up. He took her hand and using what little strength he had left, got to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Lina asked.

"Yeah, thanks", he replied.

"What are you doing!" Shocks said, his voice full of disgust. "That THING doesn't deserve kindness. No Mimikyu does! They should all be kicked out of Alola".

Lina closed her eyes. " Stay here", she said. She then turned to face the Pokemon she held captive. The wind began to whip into a furious pace. Lina opened her eyes and increased the pressure of her powers. As she did, her eyes began to glow an empty, soulless, bright blue.

Then, Lina spoke, but her voice had been by replaced by a loud, booming tone that shook the trees as she talked. "LISTEN, NOW! YOU ALL HAVE TREATED THIS POKEMON LIKE FILTH! YOU THINK HE IS A DISEASE THAT SHOULD BE EXTERMINATED ACROSS THE GLOBE!? YOU'RE THE TRUE FILTH! EVERY DAY YOU HAVE GIVEN THIS POKEMON ONLY HATRED AND CRUELTY WITHOUT EVEN ATTEMPTING TO KNOW HIM, NEVER LETTING HIM LIVE ONE DAY IN PEACE! AND THAT ENDS TODAY!"

All the Pokemon were afraid, except Spectra. All his life he'd been treated like the most worthless Pokemon alive, but as this Kirlia stood up for him and protected him, Spectra felt as priceless as the sun and moon themselves.

"Hey look, the runt got someone to fight his battles for him!", Shocks snarled. Lina turned her head towards Shocks and he immediately shut his mouth. She increased the pressure she was putting on him, causing Shocks to choke.

Then, she screamed "I SAID IT ENDS!" and hurled the Pikachu into the ground. She then flung the other Pokemon into the forest, sending them flying through the air. Lina then turned to face Spectra. "We need to go", she told him, her eyes returning to normal. But then, Lina's body went limp and she began to fall. Spectra reached out and caught her right before she hit the ground. He tried to shake her awake, but she didn't even move. Spectra then looked at where Shocks had hit the ground and realized that he was waking up. Spectra had no clue what to do, so he did what Lina had said. He picked a direction and ran, still carrying Lina in his arm. Spectra ran and ran, not stopping or thinking about what would happen if he did or the Pokemon that would surely follow him. The only thing he could think about was Lina, the only Pokemon to ever show him compassion, and kindness. Then, a question began racing through Spectra's head. " _Why_?"


	3. Chapter 3 The Lonely Monster

A/N Hey guys. Here I am, finally picking back up on writing the story. It's not a full fledged story yet, but I've gotten a great deal of work done so I feel its time to put some more content into the online version. As of now, the chapters will begin to get a little longer, so fair warning. Anyways, lets a go.

Chapter 3

Alexa wasted no time when she heard her alarm go off. She picked her favorite outfit, a pink shirt, water blue shorts, and her favorite hat and ran downstairs. She was moving so fast she almost didn't see her mother standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Well aren't we in a hurry?", Cassandra said in her warm, loving voice. "You're not trying to run out and meet up with a boy, are you?"

"Morning Mom," Alexa replied "and no! I'm going to the professor's lab. He's got three new Pokemon today!"

"Well you didn't forget it was your birthday did you?" Cassandra asked. That's when Alexa noticed that her mother was holding two boxes.

"Mom, you shouldn't have. You know we don't have much money," she warned. Alexa didn't like it when her mother bought her things for no reason. She felt that it wasn't worth it if the money could go to something more important.

"Alexa, don't!", Cassandra scolded. "You're my daughter. You more important than anything in the entire world to me. There's no reason I can't get you a present for your birthday if I wanted to."

"But -", Alexa started to say.

"No buts. Now go on," Cassandra urged.

Alexa took the boxes from her mother and carefully began to open the first one. Inside were six poke balls. Alexa was able to tell what three of them were, a regular poke ball great ball and ultra ball, but had no clue what the other three were. " They're cherish balls," Cassandra explained. "Apparently they are used for Pokemon you have a great love for, or on a special occasion." Alexa moved on to the second box, and in it was Cassandra's favorite hat. It was the same as Alexa's, but it was red and had a large heart shape sewn into the front.

" What! No, no way! I can't take that hat! You love it so much, and it wouldn't feel right to take it!"

Cassandra smiled as she looked at the hat. "I do love it, but I love you more. And as long as you have that hat, we'll always be together. Now go ahead and put it on". Alexa couldn't resist and replaced her hat with her mother's. "Now, when you get back, we're spending the whole day together," Cassandra insisted. " Anything you can think of we'll do it". Overwhelmed, Alexa pulled her mother close and hugged her.

"Thanks Mom, you really are the best," Alexa replied.

"You're welcome. Now you'd better hurry. You don't want someone else to get your Pokemon, do you?", Cassandra said.

Alexa sat puzzled for a moment before she realized that she had forgotten about the Pokemon. "Oh yeah!" she shrieked. " I have to go! I'll see you later Mom!" With that, Alexa grabbed her bag and bolted to the professor's lab.

=

When Lina woke up, it was morning. She had no clue where she was at, and didn't recognize this place from any of her walks through the forest. She tried to sit up, but she had a splitting headache. Lina then remembered the incident yesterday with the Mimikyu and began looking frantically for him. Her eyes then fell on a pile of berries lying next to her.

"Those are for you," said a raspy voice. Lina felt a chill along her spine as she looked towards a large rock to her right. On top of the rock was the Mimikyu, watching her very curiously. " Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!", he said apologetically.

"No, no it's alright. I was just surprised is all. Thank you," Lina assured him.

"It's me who should be thanking you," the Mimikyu responded. "You're the first Pokemon to care about me and trust me in my entire life. You didn't hate me just because of what I was. You treated me like... like a real Pokemon. So, thank you. And it's Spectra in case you were wondering."

Lina realized he was introducing himself and did the same. "I'm Lina."

"Nice to meet you," Spectra replied.

Lina's thoughts returned to the berry pile next to her. "So, you found these all on your own? While you were hurt?", she asked.

Spectra nodded. "I figured you'd probably be hungry or something when you woke up, considering what you did to those other Pokemon," he explained.

"Oh yeah!" Lina exclaimed. "So, why did they attack you? I mean from what I saw I could probably guess why. If you don't wanna talk about it, it's okay."

"No, it's alright," Spectra said. "You see, most of my life I've been treated that way. Everyone's always thought I was a monstrous nightmare creature. In the last place I was living, Lush Jungle, the Pokemon there beat me up just like the ones here did, only more violently and more frequently. They had never seen a Mimikyu before, and I guess they let their imaginations take over. No matter what, they never showed me anything but hatred."

Spectra went on to explain that there was nowhere on his home island that he could live in peace, and how he'd never even had anyone care enough to ask his name. "So I decided to leave my home and find a new place to live. I stowed away on a ferry and headed for Akala Island. But when that didn't work either, I came here. I thought things would be better here, but now I know the real truth. No matter where I go or who I meet, I'll always be alone. The lonely monster." The forest was silent for a few moments, as if the trees themselves were listening to the conversation, their leaves and branches catching every word.

Finally, Lina spoke up. "That's awful!", she said. Spectra looked at her, surprised. "Having no one be with. Having no one try to get to know you, or try to find the good sides of you. That's just awful. How could anyone be so heartless." She looked up and Spectra saw that her eyes had become teary. "It's not your fault. You never asked to be like this. But other Pokemon think it is. They never looked beyond what you are." She paused, nearly choking on the sadness she felt for Spectra. "I'm sorry," she said as she hugged him.

" _I_ _s she_?" he wondered, confused by Lina's sudden affection. " _She is. She's_ _trying to make me feel better_. _First she saved me, and now she's trying to cheer me up._ _She's_...", he couldn't finish the thought, his mind too overwhelmed with emotions, and he began to cry into her shoulder. This lasted a while, until Spectra finally said "You'd probably better eat those berries. You did seem a little weak when you woke up."

"Do you want some too? You were hurt pretty bad yesterday," Lina offered. Spectra was astounded. This Kirlia had to be the nicest Pokemon he'd ever met.

"Sure," he replied. Lina couldn't tell if it was him healing or her words, but the life seemed to be returning to Spectra's eyes. The two ate their berries in silence for a while until some familiar voices cut through the forest.

"Look over there!" yelled a familiar voice. "We'll find those two and when we do, they'll pay!" Spectra knew immediately who it was. Shocks was awake, and looking for revenge.


	4. Chapter 4 The Realization

A/N Hello. There are most likely gonna be a lot of chapters getting uploaded over the next few days. Anyway, glad to see more and more people are enjoying this story. It really makes the whole thing worth while. That and the fact that it's kind of fun to write this.

Chapter 4

"Gotta hurry!", Alexa told herself as she ran down Route 1 to the professor's lab."Why did they have to show up today!?" Up until now, the reason Alexa kept going back to the professor's lab was a secret between, the professor,Alexa's mother, and herself. Somehow, however, some local nuisances had figured out what was going on, and earlier they decided to tease Alexa about it.

"Hey girlie, where ya headed?", said the leader with purple hair and a black jacket, who Alexa recognized as Zac.

"She's probably off to be rejected again. You'd think she'd give up," mocked Tom, a smaller, rounder fellow with gray hair and a red blazer.

"Oi, honestly, how long's it gonna be 'fore she can take the hint?", spat the third teen, a tall, thin kid wearing a black striped polo shirt and matching hat named Yao.

"So what if I am going to get a pokemon?", Alexa hissed back. "The professor says every pokemon has different reactions to people!"

"Oi, get a load o' what girlie spewin'" laughed Yao.

"Then if every pokemon has different tastes, as you put it," Zac said in a questioning tone, "why is it that every pokemon you've met has turned you down? I think it's time you learned the cold, hard truth. You'll never get a pokemon."

This hit Alexa like a truck. She was no longer willing to sit here and deal with these ignorant jerks. "I don't care what the trash thinks," she said in a tone that would've scared a Darkrai. "Now get out of my way."

The boys could tell they had broken Alexa and stepped aside. "Fine,"Zac said, "but you can't deny the truth. Let's roll boys!"

"Catch ya on the flip loser," the other two boys called as they followed Zac.

"Whew!", Alexa sighed. "Now that that's over." With that, the girl continued to run to the professor's lab so she could finally get her partner. But as Alexa now approached the front door to the lab, her heart began to pound in her chest. "They're wrong," she assured herself. "I just hope I'm not too late." She wasn't she wanted to know what would happen, but she was determined not to be sad on her birthday, so she shook away her sorrows and knocked on the door. When the door opened, Alexa wasn't met by the professor, but by Lillie, his assistant. "Alola Lillie. How have you been?", Alexa asked.

"Alola Alexa,"Lillie groaned back. Alexa guessed that she must have just woken up."I'm fine, thanks. How about you? That job still going well?"

"Yeah, it's great," Alexa replied.

"The professor's not back yet," Lillie said. "He had to go pick up the pokemon. Why don't you come in and wait for him?", she suggested.

"OK, thanks!", Alexa said. She entered the large house, which by comparison completely dwarfed her little apartment. She walked over to the sitting area and took her favorite spot on the couch.

"I'll make us some tea," Lillie offered and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Sounds great!", Alexa replied. The professor's Rockruff had heard her voice and bolted straight to the couch to pounce on the girl. "Hey Rockruff," Alexa said with a laugh. "Good to see you too bud." Rockruff then darted to the kitchen and stood next to Lillie, who froze once the small dog got close to her. For some reason, Lillie seemed to be unable to get too close to pokemon. Rockruff looked at Lillie disappointed for a moment,then ran back over to Alexa.

"You OK Lillie?", Alexa asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Lillie replied, easing up now.

"Well if it isn't Alexa and Lillie, the dynamic punch duo," came a voice from the front door.

"Alola Professor!" the girls chimed together.

"Woah," said professor Kukui. "That was kind of creepy. Anyways, perfect timing Alexa. I was just about to get the pokemon ready. Happy birthday by the way."

"Oh that's right!", Lillie exclaimed from the kitchen. "It is your birthday. Congrats."

"Thanks," Alexa said, warmed by the friendliness she was being showered with. " _In a way, I'm kind of glad i never got a partner_ ," she thought. " _Without it, I would never have become such good friends with Lillie and the professor_." Alexa's mind began to wander back to all the times she'd come back to the professor's lab. Back to how the professor was always so nice to her, and how Lillie would insist on making tea just so that the two could hang out a little longer.

Alexa was soon brought back to reality by the professor's snapping. "Alexa!", he called.

"I'm here!", Alexa replied, startled.

"So, whaddya think?"Kukui asked, and Alexa's gaze fell on three very familiar pokemon. A round, green owl with a bow tie made of leaves, a thin black cat with red markings curled up to the owl's left, and an extra happy seal balancing a balloon atop it's head to the owl's right.

"Oh yeah! The pokemon!", Alexa happily exclaimed.

Lillie looked over confused. "Are you ok Alexa?", she asked.

"Yeah," Kukui commented. "You kind seem like your mind had teleported." This made Alexa chuckle. She did always laugh at the professor's puns, even if they were bad.

"No, I'm alright," Alexa said between laughs. "I was just thinking, is all."

"So, who are you gonna pick?", Lillie asked curiously. Alexa was unsure. She did always tend to like Rowlets, seeing them as very charming pokemon, not to mention she knew that Rowlet's final evolution was Decidueye. However, she did think that Popplios were very funny and adorable. And while Alexa didn't particularly dislike Litten, she couldn't say that it would've been her first choice.

"Let me think," Alexa said, pondering her options. "I think I'm gonna chose Rowlet."

"I'm not surprised," professor Kukui chuckled.

Alexa then sat down a few feet away from the small bird pokemon, waiting for it to decide. After five seconds of silence, the Rowlet turned its head towards Kukui and flew into his arms. "Oomph," the professor gasped as the pokemon flung itself into his chest. "Hey, I thought Rowlets couldn't learn headbutt!", he joked.

"I'm sorry Alexa," Lillie said from the couch.

"It's cool!", Alexa chimed. "I'm fine, really."

"Why don't you try another one," Kukui suggested. Alexa looked at the pokemon again, this time choosing Popplio.

"Please be careful. I've read that Popplios are slight show offs," Lillie warned.

"Now Lillie, don't discourage Alexa's choice," Kukui said. "Rrrrock!", Rockruff barked in agreement. As it turned out though, Lillie was right. The Popplio looked at Alexa for a moment, then did a perfect back flip on the table, smacking Alexa with its tail and knocking her against the couch. The Popplio then turned its attention towards the fish tank on the other side of the room and slid towards it.

"Bummer," Kukui groaned. "You alright kiddo?"

"That looked like it hurt a lot," Lillie commented.

"No, it wasn't that bad," Alexa assured them, even though it was obvious she was trying to hide the pain.

"Well, maybe third time's the charm," encouraged Lillie.

"Yeah," mumbled Alexa. She looked towards the small fire type, its steely gaze piercing her soul. "Litten," she said in an almost motherly tone. "I'm sorry to bother you, and I know it's difficult for you to learn to like someone, but it would mean so much to me if you decided to be my partner. So what do you -", Alexa was interrupted by the Litten attacking her, ferociously scratching her face. The pokemon then walked over to the couch and lay down next to Lillie. Almost immediately, Lillie froze again.

"Well that was just plain rude!", Kukui scolded the cat. It seemed unfazed and continued to sleep.

"Professor," Lillie said, her voice drowned with worry.

"It's alright, it won't hurt you while it's sleeping," Kukui assured his young assistant.

"No, it's not that," Lillie responded. She slowly raised her arm and pointed straight towards Alexa, who was now sobbing quietly, hiding her face in her hands.

"Alexa, are you alright. Did that hurt?", the professor asked, his focus now locked on Alexa.

"No, I'm fine," she lied between sobs. It seemed as though the Litten's rejection had completely shattered her spirit, leaving no trace of happiness. Normally, Alexa was never this sad, even on her worst days, and she definitely never cried. The professor and Lillie were now extremely worried. "It's just - I - I think I should go."

"Do you want me to come with -", Lillie started, but Alexa had already gotten up and was heading for the front door.

"Alexa, wait," Kukui pleaded, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. Alexa didn't want to stay where she wasn't wanted, where she'd never be wanted. Without a word, she walked out the door.

"You," Lillie finished, staring down into her tea.


	5. Chapter 5 The Running

A/N From here on out the story really begins to heat up. Warning, if you are sensitive to violence I would advise caution when reading the next few chapters. Two pokemon gonna die tonight.

Chapter 5

"We need to go! Now!", Spectra warned. A sudden burst of pain hit him, reminding the Mimikyu of the status he was in.

"Spectra!", Lina whispered, worried about him and the pokemon getting closer.

"OK, correction, you need to go," Spectra urged, his concern spilling through his voice. "There's no way we'll both get out of here, and if they catch me, they can't kill me, but you." He knew ghost type pokemon couldn't really die, but he knew that whatever Shocks had planned was bound to be way worse for Lina, especially considering she had used Shocks like a rag doll.

"No! No way! Out of the question!", Lina argued. She wasn't just going to leave him to die, or worse, go back to being treated like he was before.

"Just go!", Spectra said harshly. "You saved me yesterday, so now I'm saving you. You won't miss me anyways. After a while, you'll probably just forget about me, so you'll be better off."

"That's not true! There's no way I'd forget you!", Lina scolded. She could tell from the bitterness in his voice that Spectra didn't want her to leave, but as Shocks and his thugs got closer, she knew he was right. There was no way they could both get out of here. Even using her future sight, she couldn't see a way out. "I WILL come back!", Lina assured him, then she ran. She stopped once she was a few feet away and yelled back to get the goon's attention.

"What are you morons standing around for?! Get her!", Shocks commanded, and two Rockruffs took off after Lina. With that, Lina continued to run as far and as fast as she could until she found a small cave and darted inside. Once she was certain that the Rockruffs had past her, she took off and headed towards the nearest human town.

"I am going back!", she told herself. "But I need help."

Meanwhile, Shocks and the rest of his goons had found Spectra and were carrying him back to the village. "Looks like your little girlfriend ditched ya, huh?", the Pikachu taunted. "Which only makes sense. I mean, why would she stick around and save you again when there's a target on the back of her head, too?" The other pokemon laughed in agreement.

"I made her leave!", Spectra spat. "This is between you and me! I'm the one you want dead, so leave her out of this! She's got no part in any of this."

Shocks chuckled. "Oh, how CHIVALROUS! Poor little freak's protecting the dashing damsel. Well, Romeo, you're wrong. So sorry to tell you this, but when she interfered yesterday, she became a part of this. It doesn't matter what she did, or why she did it. She was defending you, and we can't have that,can we?"

"No!", chirped the Pikipeks above Spectra.

"Shut up, you morons! It was a rhetorical question," Shocks groaned.

"A what?", asked one of the Machops carrying Spectra.

"I said SHUT UP!", Shocks yelled. "I swear, what's the use." As the pokemon hauled Spectra back to the village, he didn't try to escape. He knew if he did, it would make things worse. Not just for him, but for Lina if Shocks ever got a hold of her. So he just kept quiet, trying not to make Shocks any more aggravated than he was already. Suddenly, Spectra felt a blow hit the back of his head like a bullet punch and he blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6 The Save

A/N Wow this is getting out later than I wanted! Sorry, but up until now I didn't have internet. Anyway, chapter number six. Let's roll out.

Chapter 6

As Alexa trudged back home through the streets of Hau'oli city, she began to think about what Zac had said before she went to the professor's lab.

"You'll never get a pokemon." Every time she heard those words, Alexa's sadness seemed to grow, as if it was being fueled by the cruelness of Zac's words.

And the more Alexa heard those words, the more she began to believe them. "They were right," she whispered to herself as she walked. "Why couldn't I see it?! Those pokemon tried to show me, too, always rejecting me and turning me away."

She trailed off, her mind now running between all the pokemon she had tried to become partners with. Every pokemon rejecting her, every time she went back to the lab only to leave without a pokemon.

Alexa then reached into her bag and pulled out one of the cherish balls she had gotten from her mother, knowing it would never be used as she looked at the gleaming red casing, and it broke her heart even more. "I'm so sorry Mom," Alexa whispered as she placed the ball back into her bag.

Alexa turned around the corner and saw two people standing on the side of the road. One was a man wearing a white bandanna with two black spots on the front on the top of his head, and a black bandanna around his lower face, with a black tee shirt and shorts. He was also wearing an odd necklace. The other person was a woman, wearing a nearly identical outfit, with pink hair and white shorts that were cut off above her knees. Alexa recognized them as members of Team Skull. She had heard about them on the news and from some of the adults.

She then noticed a pokemon between the two thugs. It wasn't a pokemon Alexa had seen before. The pokemon looked almost like a human child with blue hair, two red horns and skin as white as pure snow.

The pokemon locked eyes with Alexa as if it had sensed her. Then, Alexa heard a voice yelling in her head. " _Help me_!", the voice screamed.

It didn't take long for Alexa to guess that the voice was the pokemon, and she could tell from its screams that it was sad and scared, so Alexa wasted no time. She rushed to where the pokemon was and got between it and the thugs.

"Hey Numbskull, whaddya-", the man started, but was cut off by a swift leg sweep from Alexa that sent both him and his friend to the ground. Alexa then picked up the pokemon , and ran down the street until she reached the pokemon center and darted inside.

"Crap! We lost her!", Alexa heard the man say.

"Wow. Guzma is not gonna be happy to hear that you screwed up again.", the woman taunted.

"Me!? That was your fault! You let her get away!" The two continued to bicker as they walked away. Alexa looked outside to make sure that the grunts had gone away, then ran down the street to her house and rushed inside.

"Whew!", Alexa exclaimed, gasping for air.

"Um...," said the pokemon. "Sorry to interrupt, but would you mind letting me down now?"

"Oh, yeah sure. Sorry about that," Alexa exclaimed as she gently placed the pokemon on the floor of her living room.

"Thank you for saving me. My name is Lina," the pokemon said.

"Alexa," the girl replied.

"So, you were the one I saw," Lina said, confusing Alexa.

"Um, excuse me," Alexa interrupted, "but what do you mean by "saw"?"

"Never mind, I need your help. I'll explain everything on the way, but we have to hurry," Lina demanded.

"Oh, uh okay," Alexa replied, her voice full of uncertainty. " _She needs my help? Why would she need my help? What help could I be, I mean, apart from saving her from those Team Skull grunts."_ "I said I'll explain on the way! Now come on, we have to get to Ten Carat Hill!", Lina demanded, shocking Alexa by responding to her thoughts. "Oops, sorry," she apologized. "That was rather rude, wasn't it? I'm sorry, but I really do need your help, and time is running out very fast. He could've already been captured. So, please, will you help me?"

" _So, she need me to help her save someone_ ," Alexa thought, realizing how drastic the situation was. "Of course I will," she replied, her confusion transforming into determination. "But you do have to explain what's going on and how you can hear my thoughts."

"Deal, now come on," Lina replied without hesitation.


	7. Chapter 7 The Prison

A/N Hey guys, here's chapter number 7. These little author notes will be going away soon because I feel like all they're doing is announcing the chapters. I mean, if there is something important I need to say I'd put it in an author's note, but if there isn't, there won't be an author's note.

Chapter 7

When Spectra opened his eyes, he realized he was suspended above the ground and unable to move. He looked down and saw that vines were tightly woven around his body, tying him to the large tree in the center of the pokemon village.

"Comfy up there, squirt!", Shocks yelled from the ground. Spectra just stared at the mouse, hating him with every part of his soul.

"If you wanted revenge so bad, then why stick me where you can't reach me?! Still scared of all those nasty rumors _you_ spread about me?!", Spectra taunted, trying to make Shocks angry. He'd hoped he could get Shocks to either reveal his plans, or make Shocks admit that he was afraid.

"Ha!", laughed Shocks. "The runt still doesn't get it. You aren't the only one involved anymore, remember? Since your little damsel stepped up to help you, she's on the payroll too! Besides, a helpless hostage is better than a broken hostage. Not to mention...," Shocks said before launching a powerful thunderbolt at Spectra. "Because that tree has so much moss all over it, I can zap you whenever I want. That's what we call a win win, not that you'd know." Shocks followers chuckled, amused by the physical and emotional torment Spectra was enduring.

"You seriously think she'll come back!?", Spectra yelled. "You're an even bigger fool than I thought. Why would she come back? She's probably halfway to the other side of Alola by now. After all, it's like you said. Who would be friends with a Mimikyu?" No matter how much Spectra wanted that to be true so Lina could be safe, he knew it wasn't. Lina was the first pokemon to be nice to him, and he knew she'd come back, Shocks or no Shocks.

"You may be right!", Shocks said, snapping Spectra back to reality. "That's why I'm not wasting my time here. Enjoy your company runt!" Shocks turned away and left, his posse in tow close behind.

At first, Spectra thought that Shocks' "company" remark was just to aggravate Spectra. Until he saw a pair of beady, red eyes watching him from the dark. As more of the red eyes appeared, Spectra understood what Shocks had meant. He was completely surrounded by Rattata on every side, blocking any means he had of escaping. Spectra had no choice but to be a helpless, useless pokemon like everyone wanted him to be.

=

"So?", Alexa asked as she followed Lina. She found it hard to keep up with the pokemon, even though Alexa was a lot taller.

"You want explanations," Lina guessed. "Alright. First things first, I'm a Kirlia, a psychic type pokemon. My ability allows me to read the minds of people and pokemon, as well as send thoughts to them."

"Cool," Alexa remarked.

"Yes," Lina continued. "And as for why I need your help, there is a pokemon back at Ten Carat Hill. A Mimikyu. I saved him from a group of pokemon that were attacking him. The next morning, those same pokemon came after us again, but Spectra was hurt to the point where we couldn't have both gotten away, so I had to run. But I promised him that I would come back and I needed help. I used my future vision to see what I needed to do, and all of my visions told me to go to the city and wait for a trainer to help. That's when you showed up."

"Uh, did - did you say trainer?", Alexa asked.

"Yes. I saw a gifted trainer who would come to help me," Lina replied. "You are a pokemon trainer aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm a trainer," Alexa quickly said. " _She must really like this Mimikyu. She's come this far just to save him._ "

"Yes, I do," Lina answered, responding to Alexa's thoughts.

"Hey!", the girl scolded. "I thought we agreed that reading my mind without permission was rude!" However, Alexa didn't really think that politeness was the Kirlia's top priority.

"My apologies, Alexa," Lina said. "Normally, I try not to read other's minds unless it's a crisis, but, well...," the pokemon trailed off, confident that Alexa already knew how serious this was.

"It's fine," Alexa replied.

"Stop and shush!", Lina demanded.

Alexa was shocked. "Really! I mean, mind reading is one thing, but _that_ was just _beyond_ rude," she scolded.

"No, I mean stop and shush," Lina said, attempting to clarify what she meant. Alexa understood and stopped next to Lina. "We're here. This is the entrance to Ten Carat Hill. Now, once we reach the village and find Spectra, I'll cause a diversion and you rush in grab Spectra and run back to your house."

"Alright," Alexa said, admiring Lina's determination.

"Be careful," the young Kirlia warned. "Shocks no doubt has his goons looking for me, so we'll need to be extremely sneaky." The two entered the cave system surrounding Ten Carat Hill.

"So this Spectra. Is he - I mean are you and him?", Alexa vaguely questioned, trying to get a little more information out of Lina.

This caught Lina off guard. She quickly whipped around to face Alexa. "No! What!? No! We aren't - I - I mean we barely even - Is this important!?" she fumbled, her embarrassment causing her to trip over her words. Even in the darkness of the cave, Alexa could see the little pokemon blushing and she had to stifle a laugh.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Alexa replied. The two wandered through the caves for a few more minutes until they finally reached the entrance to the forest of Ten Carat Hill.


	8. Chapter 8 The Trap

Chapter 8

Spectra racked his brain for any possible way out of this trap so that he could stop Lina from coming back. Every second that passed him by made his heart pound harder. " _I WILL come back_." Those were the last words Spectra had heard Lina say, and he knew that they were true, so he had to get free.

Spectra looked for any weak links in the vines, trying every knot with his hand. Unfortunately, they were tied extremely well. " _Too complicated to undo without being seen_ ," he thought to himself. It was highly unlikely that any of the Rattata would be willing to help him, either. Spectra sighed and retracted his hand.

"Ow!", he yelped. Something had pricked the back of his arm. He looked and saw that a piece of sharp bark was loose next to his shoulder. Spectra flashed back to when Shocks had zapped him earlier and realized that Shocks must've broken the bark loose.

" _Bingo_!", Spectra yelled in his head. He'd found his way out. He could use the bark to cut the vines, then when Shocks came back, Spectra could jump off the tree and land safely. Well, safely for him anyway. Spectra planned to jump on Shocks to soften his landing, and get a little payback at the same time.

Spectra then began to search for weak spots in the vines. Near the bark, Spectra saw one of the vines had a small scorch mark. Spectra slowly shook his head in triumph. "And he thinks I'm an idiot?" he said, amazed at how careless Shocks had been.

Slowly and quietly, Spectra reached up, broke off the bark, and began sawing away at the burn mark. " _Stay away Lina_! _If you can_ _hear me, just stay away for a little while longer_ ," he thought, hoping she would hear his message. He managed to cut through the vine, checked to make sure that none of the Rattata had noticed, and went to work on the vine above his other shoulder. However, the bark broke and fell to the ground, splintering into pieces. Which was good, because Spectra had to leave the vine a little bit intact and he'd almost cut all the way through.

Spectra heard a rustling to his right and noticed that one of the Rattata had begun to wake up. He lowered his head, hoping to fool the Rattata into thinking that he was still asleep, and since the Rattata didn't know that Spectra's eyes were in the stomach of his costume, he easily succeeded and the Rattata went back to sleep. " _Come on back Shocks_ ," Spectra thought. " _I'm waiting_!"

=

Lina had been leading Alexa through the forest for what seemed like hours, even though Lina had repeatedly assured her that they'd only gotten into the forest ten minutes ago. It didn't exactly help that Lina kept shoving Alexa around with her powers. "Are we even close yet?! It feels like we've been walking in circles," Alexa whined.

"No, and if you would hurry up, we probably would have been there by now!", Lina barked.

"Well soooorry Miss stay in the shadows, but in case you haven't noticed, you keep shoving me into trees!", Alexa scolded. Lina just ignored the girl and continued through the forest.

"Wait, slow down! I can hear someone." Alexa figured that Lina meant heard their thoughts, because she couldn't hear anything but the wind dancing through the trees. "We need to move!", She urged and practically sprinted ahead. Alexa had to run just to keep up.

"Who was it?", Alexa asked.

"Shocks," Lina replied. "One of the pokemon who beat up Spectra, and he's leading us straight to him!" Alexa could hear the excitement in Lina's voice, but she could also hear the fear. Alexa guessed the little Kirlia must be afraid of what shape Spectra might be in, especially considering how beaten up he'd sounded when Lina described him.

" _But won't Shocks hear us running_!?", Alexa yelled in her head. She thought it would be better to talk telepathically so that other pokemon wouldn't hear their voices.

" _No,_ " Lina answered. " _They are a little ways away_ , _just enough to be where I can hear them_." The two continued this pace for a little longer until Lina began to slow down. Alexa mimicked her movements and started sneaking alongside her. Lina stopped outside of a clearing and gasped. Alexa crouched down beside her. In the center of the clearing was a massive tree, and tied to that tree, was the Mimikyu that Alexa had come to save. The girl felt something grab her hand and realized it was Lina, scared for Spectra and glad to see him in one piece all at once.

Spectra looked over and noticed Lina. " _You came back_!", he thought, his surprise very apparent.

" _I said I would, didn't I_?", Lina replied. " _Hold on, we'll get you down_."

" _No_!", Spectra shot back, frightening Lina. " _Not yet. I have a plan and I need Shocks for it to work._ _I need you to- Wait, backup. Did_ _you say "we"_? _Nevermind, just stay out of sight for a little while longer and be ready to run_."

Lina nodded and stepped back into the shadows. "Well, what do we do now?" Alexa asked. Lina jumped. She'd forgotten that Alexa was behind her. "Sorry," the girl said.

"It's alright, we just need to wait for Shocks to come back," Lina said. After a few minutes of waiting, Lina could hear Shocks coming back and signaled Alexa and Spectra.

However, something about all this seemed off to Alexa. It seemed like she and Lina had gotten here too easily. She wasn't sure, but Alexa thought she could hear footsteps behind her. She turned around, only to confirm her suspicions. "Uh, Lina...," Alexa said in a whisper, her voice shaky with fear.

"Not now!", Lina scolded.

"Why not, Lina?", called a familiar voice from the clearing. "My Rockruffs have been looking forward to your arrival." Shocks stepped into the light, a smug, evil grin on his face.

"How did he know we were-", Lina started, but then realized that Shocks had planned this. "Alexa, there are Rockruffs behind us, aren't there?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yep, and I don't think their quite as happy to see you as Shocks is." Lina turned around to see three Rockruffs, each with their teeth bared, ready for a fight.

"Now, why don't you come over here and face me like a good little coward?", Shocks encouraged.

Lina had no choice. She had known she and Spectra were already in enough danger as it was, but now she'd gone and dragged Alexa into it. " _STUPID_!", she scolded herself. "Sorry," Lina said aloud in defeat.

" _Just stay away from Shocks and be ready to run_ ," Spectra thought.

" _Alright_ ," Lina replied. "C'mon Alexa."

"Don't have to tell me twice," the girl told her.

As the two walked into the light, Shocks began to snicker. "So, you brought a human along," the Pikachu said gleefully as Alexa and Lina got closer. "How unwise. But, I'm in a generous mood, so if the human agrees to leave now, she'll be unharmed. Sound fair?"

Alexa glared at the little yellow rat. "Yeah, see I have this policy on not trusting people who are holding pokemon hostage and threatening me with teeth," she retorted.

"Fair enough," Shocks replied chuckling. "I don't really believe that I would either. Boys, change of plans. Focus on the Kirlia." With the snap of his fingers, the Rockruffs began to shift and now had their eyes trained on Lina. "Door's that way," Shocks said, pointing in the direction of the cave system.

Alexa gritted her teeth, beginning to hate Shocks as much as Lina. "Fine. I never agreed to this," Alexa said as she turned around and began to walk away.

"What!? How could you!?", Lina exclaimed.

" _It'll be fine,"_ Alexa whispered through thought. " _Just stay calm and remember, it will be over soon._ " As Alexa walked away, Lina was disgusted, both at the girl and at herself.

"You really should've known better than to trust a human," Shocks said, ridiculing Lina.

" _He's right,"_ Lina thought. " _Humans really do only care about themselves._ "

"Oh!", Shocks exclaimed. "One more thing, Spectra. Take a look at your vines for me, would you? It would really suck if any of them had been cut."

" _Wait, how did he know about that!?_ ", Spectra thought. He then looked down and saw that the vines had completely grown back, and all his hoped seemed to be swallowed into the darkness.

"Yes, I'm afraid those aren't just vines," Shocks teased. "Tie her up and let the revenge begin!" The Rockruffs forced Lina towards the giant tree. Then, as if the vines had a mind of their own, the ones around Spectra began to move and a second set of identical vines descended and hauled Lina into the air. Spectra realized what Shocks meant. The vines were from a pokemon on the other side of the tree.

" _That's why they grew back_!", Spectra said, mentally slapping himself for being so dull.

"Well, you didn't _honestly_ think I would give a _Mimikyu_ of _all_ pokemon a breakable prison, did you? I'm truly offended that you think I could be so stupid Spectra," Shocks teased, enjoying the taste of Spectra's regret.

Lina wasn't paying attention. She had focused what Alexa had told her before the girl left. For some reason, Lina couldn't shake the feeling that Alexa was trying to tell her something. " _What did she mean_?"


	9. Chapter 9 The Eye of The Storm

A/N Hey guys. Firstly, I wanted to say thanks to all you guys for leaving your nice reviews. Secondly, some people have been asking when the next chapters are going to come out, and that's not a bad thing at all. In fact, it shows that people still take an interest. I just felt that I should clarify that I do have a lot to do in my normal life in between school, my YouTube channel, and my job, so I can never be definitively sure when the next chapters come out. But anyway, thanks again for all your interest and feed back and here's chapter 9.

Chapter 9

Alexa ran home. "She'll never forgive, but I have to save them!", she thought. She hadn't just left Lina and Spectra to die, but she knew she couldn't save them without help, and a little firepower. She rushed into the house to find that her mother was nowhere in sight.

As Alexa was searching, she found a note on the table from her mother. "Alexa, I'm sorry but something came up at work and they need me. Don't worry, I won't be gone for too long, and as soon as I'm back, we'll spend the day together like I promised. Love you, Mom." Alexa wasn't surprised by the note. She had seen hundreds of them just like it. It seemed like every time Alexa and her mother had plans, the universe had to go out of its way to try to break them.

"Great! Well, I guess I had to wait awhile anyway," she said. Alexa ran upstairs to her room and opened the chest in front of her. Inside was exactly what she was looking for, a pair of safety goggles and five silver canisters. She grabbed the canisters and took them downstairs. One of Alexa's old friends had taught her different ways to modify the canisters. "Let's see Shocks fight these," Alexa said, grinning with success. "He'll never know what hit him."

=

Meanwhile, back at Ten Carat Hill, Lina and Spectra were bound next to each other against the tree, awaiting Shocks' revenge.

"Leave her alone stupid rat!", Spectra yelled from his prison. However, his threats were only empty to the Pikachu.

"You really are dumb, aren't you?!", Shocks insulted back. "I don't plan to hurt her, or at least, not yet anyway. No, what she will face will be far worse. There is a way of killing your enemies that has existed for centuries, so perfect that absolutely nothing remains. Do you know what that is?" Shocks paused, enjoying the taste of his prisoner's fear. "No? I'm surprised considering how simple it is, but I'll tell you anyway. Attack not the body, but the soul.

Lina froze. She realized what Shocks was going to do, and it made her stomach lurch.

"Ready!", the Pikachu commanded, and his followers rose in unison and gathered around him. They then turned to face Spectra, their eyes drowning with ferocity. "Aim!", Shocks yelled out, and all the pokemon began to prepare their attacks.

"No," Lina said, horrified at what was about to happen. Spectra lowered his head and whispered two words to Lina. Two words filled with enough sorrow, and regret, and pain to choke a Hippowdon. "Forgive me."

"No!", Lina cried, unable to do anything. Even her psychic powers weren't working because of the turmoil she was feeling.

"FIRE!", Shocks yelled.

And then came the rain. The rain of rock throws and bullet seeds, of mud slaps and pin missiles. The raging, ravenous storm with Spectra at its eye, all the attacks hitting him one after another and tearing him apart. With each attack, Lina could feel her heart being shattered into pieces, over and over until she couldn't take anymore. Lina turned her head and waited for it to be over. She wanted it all gone, all the pain and suffering, all the cruelty and cowardliness.

Soon, the smoke cleared and the attacks halted to a stop. When Lina looked at Spectra again, she was petrified. Spectra's costume had been ripped apart with several links of cloth missing. He was covered in spines and mud.

But, the most horrifying thing, was the big, purple stain on Spectra's chest. It looked like it was alive and slowly eating away at Spectra's body. Lina could hear sizzling and moaning coming from Spectra's limp body. "What have you done!?", she yelled.

Shocks shrugged. "What? You act like you've never seen a poisoned pokemon before. Don't worry princess, by tomorrow, that little disease will be gone, and soon after, you'll join him," Shocks smiled maniacally. Lina continued to watch Spectra, hoping that it was all a dream, but she knew that this was as real as the pain in her heart. "I'll be back tomorrow to end this," Shocks said as he walked away. "So until then, enjoy your last night together."

And with that, Lina and Spectra were back under guard, protected by Shocks' Rattatas. As she sat there, watching Spectra Slowly die, Lina found herself wishing that it had been her instead.


	10. Chapter 10 The Plan

A/N Before anyone says it, I know. This chapter was extremely soppy, so go ahead and let me have it. Just please use the PM system instead of the reviews. Unless you're leaving a review, in which case, well, you know the drill.

Chapter 10

"Why did this have to happen today of all days?", Cassandra wondered aloud as she walked home from work. " She's not gonna be happy. Why today!?" Right after Alexa had left to get her pokemon, Cassandra had received a call from work. There was an emergency and her coworkers had no clue what to do.

" _I know you had the day off, and I'm really sorry, but this is important,_ " Cassandra's boss had told her over the phone. " _I'll pay you for this as overtime, but we need you here. I promise it won't take long, just please get here ASAP!"_

" _Okay, I'll be there soon,_ " she had replied. But, as the day went on, more emergencies came up that Cassandra had to fix and by the time she was finished, it was already 7 'o clock and most of the shops in Hau'oli City had closed. "I hope she got her pokemon," Cassandra said.

When she approached the door, she noticed a small piece of paper stuck to it. She pulled off the paper and noticed that there was handwriting on it. Alexa's handwriting to be specific. "I need your help!", the note read. Cassandra dropped the note and rushed to open the door. After a few attempts, it swung open and she rushed inside to find Alexa asleep at the table, surrounded by what looked like repel canisters. Cassandra ran over and shook her daughter awake. "Alexa, can you hear me!? Are you alright!?", she yelled.

"Mom," Alexa whispered as she woke up. She thought she was dreaming, but the girl suddenly realized that her mother really was there. "Mom! You're back!"

"Yes, I'm back. Now what's going-," but before Cassandra could finish her question, Alexa pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," Alexa said sobbing. This worried Cassandra more than the note. She hadn't seen Alexa cry since she was a little kid.

"Hey, I'm the one who should be sorry. Now what's wrong?", Cassandra asked, eyeing the repels on the table.

"Oh no!", Alexa exclaimed. "What time is it?!"

"Almost 8," Cassandra replied.

A sudden look of worry began across Alexa's face. "No, no no no!", Alexa said as she got up and began searching frantically for something. "Mom, I need you! There are two pokemon trapped at Ten Carat Hill and we have to save them! I don't have time to explain everything, but I'll tell you on the way. Aha!" she exclaimed as she found two flashlights.

Cassandra could tell Alexa was really worried. More than that, she was scared. "Whatever you need sweetie, I'll do what I can!"

"Thank you," Alexa replied, handing her mother a pair of goggles and a flashlight. "Now come on! We have to save them!"


	11. Chapter 11 The Rescue

A/N Hey guys. So since I have some free time in the next few days, I may put out a few more chapters of this. Also, soon I might start work on a Bumblebee story(FYI Bumblebee is my favorite thing ever), so look forward to that. I'm out.

Chapter 11

Hours had passed, but Lina was still in shock from the attack. Time seemed to drag on slower and slower just to tease her with Spectra's slow, painful death. He had passed out, but Lina could still see the poison's effects working through the Mimikyu, killing them both from the inside. She knew that there was nothing she could do. She couldn't pull the poison out of his body, and she couldn't free him, or herself, without alerting the guards. The only option Lina was left with was to sleep and hope that this was all a dream.

When she opened her eyes, Lina was sitting next to Spectra again. They were in the spot where Spectra had told Lina about his past, eating the pile of berries and chatting. The whole world seemed peaceful and serene. " _Maybe I was dreaming before,_ " Lina thought. " _That stuff did feel like a nightmare come true. But still, this feels...odd. It's almost like it's all too good. Wait_...," she trailed off, her gaze falling on a small purple dot on Spectra's disguise. "Um, Spectra? What's that dot?", she asked.

Spectra looked down, confused by the question. "What dot?", he asked.

"Right there," Lina said, pointing at the dot. When she did, it became larger and more disfigured, now resembling a splash of paint.

"Oh that!", Spectra exclaimed. "That's just poison. No need to worry about it."

"WHAT!", Lina yelled, astounded and annoyed by his calmness. "Um, YES SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT! We need to get rid of it!" Lina reached for the berries, hoping to find a lum or pecha berry. Right before she could grab one, a large yellow foot slammed down on the pile of food.

"I DON'T THINK SO, PRINCESS!", boomed a familiar voice. Lina looked up to see Shocks towering above her. "HE DESERVES THIS!"

Lina felt her body straightening as if she were chained to something. She struggled to move but it was no use. Then, the giant Pikachu reached down and turned Lina's head towards Spectra. The Mimikyu had gone back to looking horrible, the tears returning and the stain now covering most of his body.

"Spectra! Spectra, answer me!", Lina called, but Spectra didn't move. A sizzling sound began to emanate from Spectra's body, and he melted into a pool of darkness, leaving nothing behind, except for the remains of his costume.

"NOW TO FINISH THIS!", Shocks said as he removed his hand from Lina's head and walked in front of her. Slowly, he bent down and reached into Lina's chest. She tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. Suddenly, her entire body froze and her mind went blank. Shocks pulled his hand back and pulled out a small red object that ticked in rhythmic movements. Lina then realized it was a heart, her heart. Shocks crushed the organ between his fingers, reducing it to dust. Then, the world around Lina began to stink like the most repulsive Skuntank spray, and everything began to swirl into a gray column of smoke. The smoke began to encircle her like a whirlpool, dragging her down into a darkness without end.

Her eyes snapped open as Lina found herself back in reality. " _But wait, if that was a dream, then why is the smoke still here?_ ", Lina thought. She coughed as the gas surrounded her and Spectra. She then felt something move around her and realized what the smoke was.

"Repel," she said aloud. "But that means...", just as Lina had predicted, the pokemon holding her captive ran and she began to plummet to the ground. "AAAAAAAHHH!", she screamed. But before Lina could hit the ground, she felt something catch her. She looked up to see Alexa looking down at her.

"Got him," said a voice from behind Lina.

"Good, let's go!", Alexa exclaimed. Lina tried to speak, but the smoke prevented it. It seemed to be choking her very thoughts.

Alexa took off, with the other person close behind. Soon, they reached the entrance back to Route 1, where a few Rockruffs and Rattata were waiting. "Mom!", Alexa said. A small, silver can flew ahead of the two women and landed in front of the cave entrance, releasing more of the smoke and scaring the guards off.

"Hold on guys. We'll get you to the pokemon center!", Alexa assured Lina as they ran through the smoke and into the cave. That was the last thing Lina heard before she blacked out.

=

When Lina woke up, she was blinded by a harsh, white light. " _We'll get you to the pokemon center!",_ Lina remembered Alexa saying. "So this is a pokemon center," she said aloud. She sat up and realized she was on a flat, metal table.

"Yes it is. Glad to see that you're awake," said a woman to Lina's left. She jumped and looked over to see a woman who looked nearly identical to Alexa, only older and taller. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You okay?", the woman asked.

"It's okay, and... I'm... not sure," Lina responded. It felt like she was forgetting something important.

"My name is Cassandra. You're Lina, right? Nice to meet you," Cassandra said.

"I am, and nice to meet you as well," Lina replied. "So, I assume that you are Alexa's mother?"

Cassandra nodded. "Alexa insisted on keeping watch over your little friend so I thought it best that I stay in here with you."

Lina instantly felt like the dumbest pokemon in the entire universe. "Spectra!? He's here!?", she yelled.

"Yeah, he's in intensive care," Cassandra replied. "He really took a beating, didn't he?"

" _You have no idea,_ " Lina thought. "Take me there! Please, you have to take me there!" Lina was shocked that she'd become this attached to Spectra. She had a hard time getting attached to anyone, and now she was worried sick about a Mimikyu.

"Woah, calm down. Of course, I'll take you to him," Cassandra answered. "I have to go check on Alexa too." She walked over and picked up Lina. "Just relax though, alright? You weren't in such great shape either."

Cassandra brought Lina to a room at the end of the hallway. A large, red ER was painted on the door As Cassandra opened the door, Lina saw a large glass tube in the middle of the room connected to what looked like a super computer. She then saw Alexa, the young girl leaning on the machine as she slept in a chair. And inside the machine was Spectra, wires attached all over his body.

"SPECTRA!", Lina yelled, scaring Alexa awake.

"Wha-Woah!", Alexa exclaimed as she fell backwards and landed on the floor.

"Alexa! Are you alright honey?" Cassandra asked as she put Lina down.

"Argh," the girl groaned. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked over and saw Lina staring through the glass at Spectra. "You're awake. Are you okay?", she asked.

"She's fine. She is really worried about him though," Cassandra pointed out. "You'd think they were dating."

Alexa laughed. "No, she made it clear that they weren't. Besides, they haven't really had much to love in their lives."

"You mentioned that," Cassandra said as she helped her daughter up. "I am truly sorry Lina."

Lina didn't respond. She was too amazed. Yesterday, Spectra had seemed beyond saving, and yet, as she looked at him now, the effects of the poison seemed to be completely gone. Not only that, but it seemed as though the capsule was healing any and all injuries it could find. Spectra's costume even looked fixed, most of the tears now replaced by completely new fabric. "What is this thing?", she asked Alexa.

"It's a machine that can repair nearly any damage to a pokemon," Cassandra explained. "That really doesn't cover how it's fixing that cloth. I mean, it's not part of him, right?"

"No, I believe it's a sort of costume," Lina said.

Cassandra looked confused. "Why would he need a costume?", she asked.

"I don't know," Lina responded. "But I do know this. You and Alexa have saved his life, and honored mine with your bravery. Thank you, both of you. I am in your debt."

"You're welcome. Now, I have to go back to the house for a while. Alexa, do you want to come with me?", Cassandra asked.

Alexa shook her head. "I wanna stay and make sure Spectra gets better."

"Alright, I'll be back later. Take care baby," Cassandra said. She ten kissed Alexa's forehead and left.

=

It was noon by the time Cassandra had returned. She had brought Alexa and Lina some water from the pokemon center's vending machine. Lina, however, was beginning to worry that Alexa and her mother had come too late, but she also wanted to know more about how she was rescued.

"Alexa, those were repels that you and your mother were throwing when you rescued us, right?", she asked.

"I was wondering if you'd ask about that," the girl replied. "Yes, but I modified them so that they would release the gas without manual action. I'd figured you would probably be under guard, and I would need a way to get rid of them from a distance, so I set those repels on a trigger so that they'd be able to release the gas from the canister automatically."

Cassandra smiled. "Yes, Alexa is quite handy, and extremely bright.

"Indeed," Lina said. "I believe I understand what you said about it all being over soon now," she told Alexa.

The room went quiet until Alexa finally spoke up. "Yes, I meant that the days of you and Spectra living like that were over," she stated. "After seeing how those other pokemon treated you, I knew it had to end."

"Yes, about that," Cassandra interrupted. "Lina, before we came to rescue you, Alexa told me all about how you and your little friend have lived, and frankly, I don't think it will end any time soon. So, I thought it would be a better idea if you didn't go back to the wild, and came to live with us instead."

Lina was struck speechless. These two humans were offering her and Spectra a home after only being around them for a few hours.

"Oh, it's okay if you don't want to Lina!", Alexa quickly spoke up. "We don't want you to feel pressured, but mom's right. I would feel horrible if you went back out there alone. And you don't have to be in poke balls either! You can sleep in my room, and-"

"Wait, wait, slow down please!", Lina interrupted. Alexa sat back, not wanting her to feel pressured. "Thank you. Now about this " new home" idea. I truly am touched by your generosity but," Lina paused, looking back at Spectra, "I don't think that I should decide without Spectra. I mean, I know you wouldn't hurt us, but he doesn't exactly have good history with humans. I know the wild isn't at all safe, but if it's where Spectra wants to go, then it's where I'll go too."

"I understand. It's sweet how much you care about him," Alexa said.

Cassandra knew exactly how Lina was feeling. " _She's in love. That's what it is. It has to be,_ " Cassandra thought. The three girls sat in the ER for the rest of the day. Nurse Joy came in several times to check Spectra's condition and insisted that he was getting better.

That night, after Alexa and Cassandra had gone home, Lina was still thinking about what they had said. " _They want us to live with them,_ " she kept thinking, the words seeming more impossible each time. Before, Lina had never thought about, or wanted, to live with anyone else. But now, as she sat here watching her fallen friend sleeping in peace, she couldn't imagine living without him.

"Why am I feeling this?!", Lina wondered, questioning everything she had felt and thought in her life. Then it hit her. " _I think they're right. I think...I love him._ "


	12. Chapter 12 A New Beginning

Chapter 12

The next day, Alexa woke up early so that she could go to the pokemon center before school. As she walked there, she couldn't help but wonder if Spectra actually would get better. Each time she or Lina asked Nurse Joy, the pink haired woman had assured them that he would recover, but Spectra never showed any sign of waking up.

When Alexa turned the corner to the pokemon center, the three teenagers from before were waiting for her. "Hey girlie. Where ya goin'," Zac said.

"Don't start. Just get out of my way," Alexa warned, not wanting to deal with their ignorance today.

"Someone's acting tough," Yao taunted.

"She probably has some injuries from her "pokemon partner" that she got," mocked Tom.

Alexa ignored them and attempted to walk around the boys, but Zac blocked her path every time. "Hey, we didn't say you could leave," he teased, his face extremely close to hers.

"I warned you," Alexa said. With a swift uppercut, she knocked Zac down and pinned him on his stomach.

"Hey get off him!", Tom demanded as he tried to rush Alexa. She was too quick, though. Using one foot to keep Zac pinned, she tripped Tom with her other one causing him to fall on top of his friend.

"Big mistake Missy," Yao hissed as he walked over, his fists raised. "I'm not afraid to hit a girl like these two chumps."

"Neither am I," Alexa replied. Yao chuckled and threw a right hook towards Alexa's jaw, but once again, she was too fast. She dodged the boy's fist and shot a return punch right at his stomach. He began to crumple in pain and fell face first into the street.

Alexa then stood and regained her composure. "If you don't want to be embarrassed like that again, I had better not see your faces. Ever," she said. With that, Alexa turned around and walked into the pokemon center. Nurse Joy saw her and walked over.

"Good morning Alexa. If you could please follow me, I have someone who wishes to see you," she said with a curious smile.

"Certain someone?", Alexa said, puzzled. She then gasped, realizing who Nurse Joy was talking about. "Wait, you don't mean...He's awake!?"

"They asked me not to say, but please do be quiet. The Kirlia is probably still sleeping," Nurse Joy explained.

Alexa became engulfed with excitement as she ran to the ER. When she opened the door, Alexa saw that the capsule was open and the machinery was turned off. She walked over and saw Spectra standing in the capsule, looking like a brand new pokemon.

"I don't believe it. You're awake!", the girl exclaimed. Spectra raised his hand over his mouth, then pointed at Lina. The little pokemon was asleep, lying on two chairs pushed together like a makeshift bed. Spectra then pointed at the door and walked out into the hall. Alexa followed, not wanting to wake Lina after what she had been through. She closed the door behind her and sat down next to Spectra.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," the little ghost type said. Alexa realized this was the first time she'd actually heard his voice. It was dry and raspy, but at the same time calm and soothing. "I'm Spectra," he said.

"Alexa. Nice to see you awake for once," she joked.

Spectra nodded. "Nice to meet you. Now that that is out of the way, thank you for saving my life, and more importantly Lina's life. And about your offer to let us live with you, I cannot accept. I know Lina won't like it, but it's better for everyone if I'm alone. That's the way it has to be, so that my accursed life doesn't end up hurting others, especially her." Spectra lowered his head, not wanting to reveal his emotions to Alexa.

"Wait, you heard us!?", she exclaimed. "But I thought you were still unconscious."

"Yes," Spectra replied. "I didn't say anything because I thought it would break Lina's heart if I told her this. I had planned to explain this to you and your mother and leave before she woke up." The air was still and silent for a few moments.

"I understand how you feel," Alexa said. She remembered how when her father died, he mother had waited until he was gone to let her see. Even though Cassandra had tried to save Alexa from the pain, she still felt it.

"But I don't think going off on your own is the right decision," she stated. "I mean, what if you get hurt like before? You nearly died this time. And what about Lina? You know how much she cares about you. If you leave without telling her, it would destroy her. Please, for Lina, you don't have to stay with us, but don't leave her behind."

As Alexa finished, she heard a small sob. She looked over and realized Spectra was crying. Alexa reached over and embraced him in a hug. "I suppose you're right," he said.

"You don't have to be alone anymore," Alexa replied.

=

Lina woke up to see that Spectra's capsule was opened. She bolted upright when she realized that Spectra wasn't inside. "What!?", she yelled. She jumped off the chairs she was on and began frantically searching for her ghostly friend. "No, no, no this isn't happening! Where are you Spectra!? A horrible though then crossed her mind. " _Did he leave without me?_ ", she thought.

"No, he can't! I have to find him!" Lina opened the door and darted into the hall to see Alexa and Spectra hugging. She sighed as her fear began to leave her.

Alexa jumped, realizing that Lina had woken up. "Oh, you're awake too!", she exclaimed.

Spectra turned to see Lina standing there, watching him like a lost puppy. "Hi," he said sheepishly.

"Hi," Lina said in the same tone.

"Well, um I have to get to school and I think you two have a lot to talk about," Alexa said, giving Spectra an encouraging look as she set him down in front of Lina. "I'll come by after school and sign you guys out so that we can talk at my house. Bye!" With that, Alexa was out the door, leaving Lina and Spectra alone in the empty hallway.

There was an awkward silence as both pokemon tried to think of something to say. Finally, Lina hugged Spectra. "I'm glad you're okay," she said.

"Thanks," Spectra replied. "So, uh, listen. Can we talk in there?" He pointed at the ER door.

"Sure," Lina said. She opened the door and got two chairs for them to sit on. "So, what did you want to talk about?", she asked.

Spectra considered how he should phrase his next statement. He did want to stay with Lina, but he knew she'd be in constant danger if he did, and he didn't want that. But, he didn't want to hurt her feelings either.

After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and began to talk. "All my life, I've been treated exactly like I was at Ten Carat Hill, and I know that the rest of my life will be no different. You know you'll be in danger if we stick together. You'll never be safe from my curse. I don't want to leave you behind, but it'd be safer that way. There's no way I could protect you forever. So if you don't want to come with me, I understand."

Lina couldn't believe it. " _He likes me too!_ " she thought. " _He wants me to stay with him._ " "I won't leave you," she told Spectra. "I don't care about all the bad stuff that could happen. I'll stay, no matter who or what comes our way."

Spectra was speechless. After all that Lina had seen and heard and felt, she wanted to stay with him. Even though she knew the danger she was putting herself in, she wasn't afraid. " _Am I really worth that much?_ ", he thought.

"Besides," Lina said nudging Spectra's arm, "you couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

"You're right," Spectra chuckled.

"But you know, there is a place where we can be safe and together at the same time, if we took Alexa's offer," Lina suggested. "I know you don't really like humans, but they risked their lives to save us. I know we'd be safe with them."

Spectra looked straight into Lina's eyes, as if he were searching her soul. "Do you?", he asked. "I trust you, but I'm not sure that we can trust them. I know now that it was just to escape, but look at how easily Alexa left when we needed her."

"But it's like you said, she was pretending. She came back, and it's because she came back that I trust her. She would look out for us. Trust me," Lina prompted.

Spectra sighed, now knowing what Lina wanted. Of course he thought living with the humans would be better than roughing it, but he didn't want to admit it. "Okay, I'll take Alexa's deal," he said.

"Thank you," Lina said as she pulled him into another hug. However, something about the deal was still making Spectra uneasy. He knew, for his and Lina's sake, that he would have to keep a close eye on their new friends.


	13. Chapter 13 The Nickname

A/N Just thought I should put this out there, the Bumblebee story is definitely happening. Also, for anyone who may be starting to think it, there is absolutely no smut in any of my stories. I understand it's some people's passions, but I find it completely hideous and disgraceful. Anyways, I digress. I tried to throw some comedy into this story, and a lot of it was kind of centered here, so prepare for the lols.

Chapter 13

Alexa spent all day wondering where Spectra and Lina would decide to go. She knew wherever they went that they would be together, but she was still worried about them.

" _I shouldn't be selfish,"_ Alexa thought during her lunch. " _I know I should support their decision, but I really hope they decide to stay. It just wouldn't feel right if they left._ "

As she walked to the pokemon center, Alexa tried to move as slow as possible so that she wouldn't find out what Spectra and Lina decided before she was ready. Before Alexa walked into the pokemon center, she made a promise. A promise not only to herself, but to Lina and Spectra, that no matter what she would support them.

Alexa signed Lina and Spectra out and walked with them to her house. Spectra insisted on staying in Alexa's shadow for some reason, and Lina stayed right beside him. " _They're so happy together,_ " she thought, smiling. She knew that no matter what, the two would be okay.

When they walked into the house, Cassandra was sitting on the couch, eager to hear the decision. She had set out pokepuffs on the center table for Spectra and Lina, not wanting them to leave without first having something to eat. Everyone took a seat. Lina took two pokepuffs and handed one to Spectra. He took it, but neither of them ate.

"So? C'mon don't keep us waiting, what are you gonna do?", Cassandra said, breaking the silence.

Spectra looked at Lina. "You tell them," she said before taking a bite of her pokepuff. Spectra turned his gaze back to Cassandra and Alexa. While Cassandra was eager for an answer, Alexa had her head bowed.

" _She's not sure if she wants to know,"_ Lina told Spectra. " _She's afraid that we'll leave._ "

"I guess that Alexa doesn't want to know that we want to staaaaayyy," Spectra teased sarcastically.

Lina slapped Spectra in the back of the head. "Not nice!", she scolded. She then noticed that Alexa was watching her. "Yes, if you'll really have us, we'd like to stay. And if it's alright, we'd like a share of the house work so that we can help out. It's the least we could do."

Cassandra and Alexa both looked extremely surprised. "Thank you. Of course we want you to stay," the women said simultaneously, creeping out the pokemon and each other. Alexa looked over at her mother. " _She wants them to stay, too?_ ", Alexa thought. " _Was it for them, or for me?_ "

Later that night, Lina and Spectra were sitting in Alexa's bedroom. Alexa had gone to work and Cassandra went for groceries, so Lina and Spectra decided to get accustom to their new home. Lina was sitting on the bed reading one of Alexa's books, and Spectra was next to her, watching the moon as it sat perched majestically in the sky.

Spectra looked over at Lina. "When do you think they'll be back?", he asked her.

"She said late," Lina stated, slightly annoyed but keeping her gaze on the book.

Spectra huffed. He then noticed the chest in front of Alexa's bed. " _Wonder what's in there,_ " he thought. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he jumped off the bed and walked over to the mysterious chest. It had no lock, but Spectra felt like something dark was keeping it closed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lina warned, now at the edge of the bed watching her companion.

"Did you read my mind again?!", Spectra asked. That was the only thing that he didn't like about Lina. It crept him out to know that someone could, and possibly was, reading his mind.

"Nooo," Lina chanted. "It's just extremely obvious that you want to open it. Besides, I don't really think you'd want to know what's in there."

"Come on! Don't even try to tell me that you don't want to know what's in there," Spectra scolded.

"Nope," Lina said. She didn't really want to admit that she was curious. She hated being wrong. But even so, it wouldn't be right to open the chest without Alexa's permission.

"I thought you trusted me," Spectra said. "So why are you lying?"

"How did you-," Lina started before she realized that Spectra had tricked her. She crossed her arms and pouted. "Not cool, or impressive!"

"That's a lie," Spectra taunted, knowing he was beginning to aggravate her.

"Stop it!", she yelled, though it was impressive that Spectra could tell what Lina was thinking without telepathy. Knowing she had lost, Lina jumped off the bed and joined Spectra. However, instead of looking in the chest, she simply turned her back and sat down.

"Fine, you win. Open it," she said. Seconds later, Lina heard the creaking of the chest's lid. She felt her curiosity rising, but she squashed the feeling, not wanting to break Alexa's trust. "There, you opened it, now close it before Alexa gets back!", she scolded.

"Nope," Spectra said as he continued to rummage through the secrets. He couldn't see much except for some old clothes, and a red hat that looked like Alexa's, and smirked as a funny idea worked it's way into his head. He looked that Lina to make sure she wasn't looking, then quickly grabbed the hat and put it on Lina's head.

"HEY!", the psychic type grumbled as she looked at him in frustration. "What did you just do?!", she said in a demanding tone.

"What, you don't like hats?", Spectra asked, struggling to hold back his laughter.

Lina walked into the hall bathroom and looked in the mirror. She had to admit that it suited her. She thought of keeping it, but shook the idea away. When she walked back into the room, Spectra had returned to the chest. She walked back to where she was before and sat down again.

"Do you like it?", Spectra asked, knowing the answer.

"No," Lina said.

"Do you want me to put it back?", he teased.

"I never said that," she replied.

Spectra smiled and closed the chest's lid. As he did, he noticed one side of the chest shook. He walked over and attempted to move it again. He then noticed that the side of the chest slid back towards the bed. "Lina, look at this," he called.

"What?", Lina asked. She saw the side of the chest and urged Spectra to move it more. When the panel was completely out of place, it revealed a picture of a baby, Cassandra and an adult male human.

"Who are they?", Spectra asked.

"It's Cassandra and Alexa, you dope," Lina mocked.

"What? Where do you see Alexa?", Spectra said searching the photo.

"Do you seriously not know about babies?", Lina said astounded.

"Of course I know about babies, but what does that have to do with Alexa?", Spectra said annoyed.

"Argh," Lina groaned. "Alright, how do I explain this? Humans are kind of constantly evolving. Their appearances are always changing, even from the moment that they're born. That's probably what Alexa looked like as a baby."

" _How does she know this?_ ", Spectra thought astounded. "Okay, okay, I get it, but what about that guy?", he said pointing at the male.

"Maybe...Maybe it's her father," she said.

"Hey, I'm baaack!", Alexa called from downstairs.

"Uh oh!", the two pokemon said.

"Lina!? Spectra!? You guys here!?" Alexa called.

"Quick, put the picture back!", Lina whispered.

"What about the hat!", Spectra barked back. Lina had completely forgotten she had it on. She hurriedly pulled it off and hurled the hat back into the chest.

"Hello!?", Alexa called once more.

"Up here!", Lina called back. Spectra slammed the side of the chest back into place and jumped onto the bed. Lina closed the door and joined him, burying her nose in the book once again.

Alexa opened the door and sighed with relief. "There you are. I was starting to think you'd left," she said jokingly. "Um, wait. Lina, have you been reading that book all night?"

"Yes, why do you ask?", Lina lied.

"Because it's upside down," Alexa replied.

Lina looked down to realize that in her hurry she'd started to read the book upside down. Spectra had to hold his breath to avoid laughing. Lina could feel her cheeks turning as red as cheri berries. "Oh, yes. Well-you see-I-I mean I didn't-It wasn't," Lina stammered.

Spectra lost it and burst with laughter.

"Oh, so this is funny, Mr. I look at the moon all night?", Lina scolded.

"Yes, very," Spectra said between laughs.

"Don't worry Lina. It's alright if you like to read upside down," Alexa assured her.

"Uh, thanks," Lina groaned.

After he managed to stop laughing, Spectra apologized to Lina. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," he said.

"It's fine, I can get you back later," Lina said with a mischievous smile.

"You can try," the Mimikyu challenged.

"Are you two sure you aren't dating?", Alexa questioned.

"We are not!", the two pokemon yelled from the bed.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm gonna go change. Be right back," Alexa said. She grabbed her pajamas and went to the bathroom.

Once they heard the door close, Spectra's thoughts returned to the picture. "Do you think we should ask her about it? The chest and picture, I mean," he asked.

"No! You don't need anything in it, and I doubt bringing up that picture is a good idea, so leave it be!", Lina demanded.

"What about the hat?", Spectra teased.

"You don't need it!", Lina said.

"But you liked it," he said.

"I did NOT!" Lina barked, not wanting to let him win.

"But you didn't put it back," Spectra said. He knew he'd already won this.

"Fine," Lina groaned. "But wait until tomorrow."

Alexa walked back into the room, now wearing her pajamas. "Are you two arguing again?!", she asked the two pokemon.

"No-okay, stop that! You stop it!", the two pokemon bickered. It was almost impossible to tell who was saying what as they fought.

Alexa chuckled as she walked in front of her bed and opened the chest. Noticing, Spectra abandoned the argument and moved to the edge of the bed. "Hey, Alexa, what's in there?", he asked innocently.

" _Could you be anymore obvious?_ ", Lina asked him.

"Oh, just some old clothes and junk. Ooh. Hey Lina, come over here for a second", Alexa urged. Lina got up and walked over. She then realized that the girl was holding the hat Spectra had put on her earlier.

" _Not...A...Word,"_ Lina warned Spectra. "Nice hat Alexa. But, if you don't mind my asking, why do you have two?"

"Well, this one was mine, but Mom gave me her hat yesterday so I didn't really need this one anymore," Alexa explained. "I bet it would look great on you."

Spectra looked at Lina and smirked. " _Don't!_ ", she warned once again. "I don't know Alexa. Wouldn't that be a little much? I mean, you did already give me a home, and I don't think that it would be fair to Spectra." Lina smiled as she saw a look of terror spread on the Mimikyu's face. " _Told you I'd get you back."_

"Aw, come on. Please," Alexa begged.

"Alright, alright. I'll try it on," Lina said. She took the hat from Alexa and put it on her head.

"Woah, it really does look great! Think so Spectra?", Alexa said giving Spectra a nudge.

"What?", he asked.

"Do you think Lina looks nice?", Alexa repeated.

"Well, uh, I mean, I guess so. No wait, I meant yes!", Spectra blurted. He didn't have much experience with complementing people or pokemon, least of all girls.

"Aw, thanks Moonboy," Lina replied.

"No pro-Wait, what did you just call me!?", Spectra barked.

Lina giggled, proud of her new nickname for her friend. "I did tell you I'd get you back," she taunted.

Alexa found what she was looking for and pulled two blankets out of the chest. "So, where do you guys want to sleep?", she asked.

"I'll take the floor," Spectra grumbled, still sore over Lina's new nickname for him. He grabbed one of the blankets and walked under the windowsill.

"Actually, if it's alright with you, can I sleep on the bed, too?", Lina requested.

"Sure," Alexa replied. She rearranged her pillows so that one was on each side of the bed.

"Thanks," Lina said as she took the left side of the bed. Alexa turned out the light and joined her, being careful not to trip over Spectra.

"Night guys," Alexa said as she fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14 The Past Repeated

A/N Hey guys. Sorry it's been a while since the last upload. On top of my work, youtube, and housework, I've had some writers block lately, so I haven't had much time to come up with the rest of the story. But anyway, before I ramble any longer here's the next chapter.

Chapter 14

The next morning, Spectra woke up to an interesting smell coming from downstairs. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Spectra decided to investigate. Once he got downstairs, he saw Alexa and Lina standing in the kitchen.

"Hey, Spectra, perfect timing! It's almost ready," Alexa said.

"It?", Spectra asked nervously. " _Why does that make me feel like they're making a Beedrill?"_

"Breakfast," Alexa explained. "You do eat breakfast, don't you?"

"Well, he does eat berries at least," Lina answered for Spectra.

Alexa let out a laugh. "That's good to know. Anyways, go ahead and sit down Spectra," she said, pointing towards the living room.

Spectra went to the couch and sat down. He watched as Lina and Alexa finished up the cooking. " _How did they get so close so fast? They've only just met, and now it's like those two have been together their whole lives,"_ Spectra wondered. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Alexa and how she got along with so many people.

"So where's your mom, Alexa?", Spectra asked, trying to distract himself from his emotions.

"Usually when mom goes to work, she has to leave really early, so I don't often see her in the mornings," Alexa replied.

"And she just leaves you alone? That seems somewhat...irresponsible, don't you think?", Spectra commented.

Alexa froze as she turned off the stove. "I guess it can seem like that in a way. I do miss her in the mornings, but being on my own has taught me how to take care of myself. So I guess it's kind of responsible, too," she replied. Spectra could tell that this wasn't something Alexa liked to talk about.

"Are you alright?", Lina asked, placing a hand on Alexa's shoulder.

Alexa shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine," Alexa replied. "Anyways, let's eat. Lina, wanna give me a hand with the plates?" Lina nodded and took Spectra's food to him.

" _Amazing! She's so positive. Even if she does get sad, she manages to shake it away so easily,_ " Spectra thought. As Lina set his plate down, he pulled her close and whispered, "Do you think we should ask her? About her father."

"No. I can't tell for sure, but I don't even think Alexa remembers her father, so it's probably best to not bring it up. Just in case," Lina answered.

Spectra knew she was right. Lina was better at dealing with these kinds of emotions than him.

"What are you guys talking about?", Alexa asked curiously, causing both pokemon to jump. The two hadn't even noticed Alexa had walked over with the other two plates.

"Oh, uh, nothing? So, what are these?", Spectra asked, quickly trying to distract Alexa.

Alexa eyed Spectra suspiciously for a moment, seeming to look straight into Spectra's soul. He thought he would break if she stared for much longer. However, Alexa simply shrugged it away and answered his question. "Bleu berry pancakes. Lina said you liked Bleu berries, so I thought it'd be a nice welcome breakfast. Lina, yours have Persim berries."

"Yes, I do like them. Thanks," Spectra said, giving Lina a look before he began to devour the golden discs.

"Thanks. By the way Alexa, I have a question. Are you a pokemon trainer?", Lina asked. "I mean, you seem old enough to be a trainer, but it seems that there hasn't been a pokemon here for ages."

Alexa froze again. She lowered her hand and looked down. The girl had known that sooner or later, Lina or Spectra would ask her about that, but she still hoped that they wouldn't.

"No," Alexa said sullenly. "Actually, I haven't even gotten my first pokemon yet."

"But what about those poke balls in your bag? And those repels you had? If you aren't a trainer, why did you have them?", Lina asked.

"Well, mom got me those poke balls as a birthday present on the day I found you guys, and the repels were given to me by a friend. He said that I'd want them if I was going to go on a journey," Alexa explained.

As Alexa explained, Spectra could tell that the girl was holding something back. " _Don't do it_. _Please don't do it,_ " Spectra thought, trying to warn Lina, but it didn't work.

"So why haven't you gotten a pokemon yet?", Lina asked. From the look on Alexa's face, Spectra could tell that that was what she was trying to hide.

"Well, actually it's not that simple. You see, no pokemon I've chosen has wanted to be my partner. I don't understand why, but every pokemon I've tried to have as a partner has rejected me," Alexa explained, tears building in her eyes.

Spectra stopped eating, now curious as well about the topic. Alexa seemed like the kind of person anyone would want to be around, smart, kind, honest, caring. If anything, Spectra would have thought that Alexa would be the one rejecting the pokemon, not the other way around.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it," Spectra said. "Those pokemon missed out on the best trainer they could've had. Besides, for the time being, you have us."

"Yes, we'll always be here for you Alexa," Lina chimed in.

Alexa looked up and smiled. "Thanks guys. It means a lot that you'd feel that way," she replied, knowing that the two pokemon meant every word of what they had said.

Eventually, Alexa had to go to school. "Now remember, if mom and I aren't home, don't let anybody in," she warned.

"Right!", Lina and Spectra replied.

Once again, the two pokemon had nothing to do, so Lina decided to clean up. As she swept, Spectra followed her around the house like a little Ducklett, using what Lina called a "dirt catcher" to get rid of what she swept up.

As the two swept, Spectra's mind seemed to be a thousand miles away. Finally, Lina couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, are you ok?", she asked.

"Huh," Spectra said, startled. "Oh, yeah. Just thinking is all."

"Wanna talk about it?", Lina offered.

"No, I'm fine. Let's finish cleaning, alright?", he asked.

"Ok," Lina said, still wondering if Spectra was really alright.

Later that day, Alexa came home looking very excited.

"Welcome back Alexa," Lina called from her spot on the couch. Spectra was still silent. " _What could he be thinking about for so long?"_ Lina wondered.

"Hey guys! I'm gonna go out for a bit. I'll be back later!", Alexa exclaimed as she hurriedly threw her school bag by the door.

"Wait!", Lina said, catching Alexa before she ran back out the door. "Where are you going?", Lina asked.

"Well, the professor said he got a new pokemon today, so I'm going to try and choose it as my partner," Alexa replied.

"If it's alright, I would like to come with you," Spectra said.

" _Really? What is he up to?",_ Lina wondered. "Me too!", she said quickly.

"Oh," Alexa said, her energy slightly dropping. "I mean, I don't know. It might not be safe," she replied.

"But we want to!", the two pokemon whined together.

"I thought i told you to stop doing that," Lina said annoyed.

"You're the one with _psychic powers_ and _mind reading_ that keeps repeating _me_!", Spectra barked back.

"Alright! If I say you two can come, will you stop fighting?", Alexa asked. The two pokemon looked at her and nodded.

" _Why do I feel like that was part of their plan?_ ", Alexa wondered. "Fine, just don't get lost, and try not to scare anybody or fight them!", she scolded.

Lina and Spectra happily walked out the door, and Alexa sighed. " _When will they learn?"_ , she wondered as she followed them.

When the three got to the professor's house, Alexa stopped Lina and Spectra before they went in. "Just a heads up, Lillie is scared of pokemon, so I'd avoid getting too close if i were you," she warned.

"Got it," the two pokemon chimed.

Alexa knocked on the door. A few moments later, a man appeared wearing a white lab coat and black shorts, as well as a green cap and visor. "Alola Alexa. Glad you made it here alright," the man said.

"Alola Professor. It's good to see you too," Alexa replied. Lina cleared her throat to remind Alexa that she and Spectra were still there. "Oh, right. Professor, this is Lina and Spectra. Lina and Spectra, this is Professor Kukui."

"Nice to meet you! So, you're a Mimikyu, huh?", Kukui asked Spectra.

" _This man seems...energetic_ ," Spectra thought. "Yes. Nice to meet you, too," Spectra said as he shook Kukui's hand.

"And you're a Kirlia, aren't you?", Kukui said, now focused on Lina.

"Yes, I am," Lina said, blushing from the attention.

"Amazing! I've only seen pictures of Kirlia, and now the real deal is right in front of me, and shiny from the looks of it," Kukui commented.

" _It?_ ", Lina mimicked harshly.

"They've been living with me since yesterday. I saved them from some mean pokemon in Ten Carat Hill. They wanted to come with me to...", Alexa explained, then stopped. She realized that Lina and Spectra never did say why they wanted to come with her.

"To meet you and Lillie. Alexa's told us a lot about you," Lina quickly said.

"Well, I'm flattered. Come on in," Kukui said invitingly.

Lina and Spectra were amazed. From outside, the house didn't look like much more than a small shack, but on the inside, the house felt massive. Lina decided to sit on the couch with Spectra.

"Go ahead and make yourselves at home," Professor Kukui said.

"So, is Lillie here?", Alexa asked looking around.

"Yes, we were wanting to meet her as well. Right Spectra?", Lina said. Spectra nodded and went back to being silent, making Lina even more worried. She wanted him to be able to talk to her, but it seemed like Spectra was trying to distance himself.

" _Hey, are you sure you're alright?_ ", Lina asked. " _You know you can always tell me if something's wrong, and I know something's wrong. So come on, talk to me."_

Spectra turned to look at Lina. " _I know. It's just...",_ he replied, now turning his attention to Alexa. " _She doesn't deserve to be rejected by anyone, let alone by pokemon. At the very least, I wanted to be here for her this time, so she wouldn't have to deal with it alone."_

" _You're a real softie, you know that? But you're right_ ," Lina agreed.

"Hey, are you two talking about me again?!", Alexa pouted, confusing Kukui.

"Talking about you? How can they be talking about you if we can't hear them?", Kukui asked.

"It's my ability, telepathy. It allows me to read the minds of people and pokemon, as well as communicate through thought," Lina explained.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. You are a psychic type pokemon, after all," Professor Kukui said. "Anyway, Lillie isn't here, sorry. She had to go on a grocery run."

"Oh, shame. From what Alexa told us, she sounds like a nice person," Lina said.

"I'll be sure to let her know that you said that. So, Alexa, ready to try and get your first pokemon?", Kukui asked.

"You bet!", Alexa exclaimed. The professor pulled a poke ball out of his pocket and opened. A red light shot out of the sphere, then a blue pokemon appeared on the table in front of Alexa.

"A Popplio," Spectra commented. The Popplio heard Spectra and began to growl at the Mimikyu. "I...think I'll go stand over there," Spectra stated before walking to the fish tank.

"Ok, go for it Alexa," Kukui encouraged.

"Right!", Alexa said with confidence. She sat down so that she was at eye level with the Popplio. "Hi, I'm Alexa. If you want, I'd like for you and I to be partners. What do you say?"

With how nice Alexa was being, Lina didn't see any way that the Popplio could resist joining her. However, the small seal reared back and shot a water gun straight into Alexa's face, soaking the poor girl. Lina couldn't believe what she just saw. "Why you little sand eating nuisance!", she yelled.

"Are you alright, Alexa?", Spectra asked. He handed her a blanket and Alexa dried herself off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," Alexa said, pulling Spectra into a hug.

"Sorry kiddo," Professor Kukui said comfortingly.

Lina was still focused on the Popplio. " _Why would I be her partner,_ " the Popplio thought snidely.

" _Well, for starters, she was nice to you and actually wanted to be friends with you! Honestly, you messed up! You'll never find a trainer who will care about you as much as Alexa would've!"_ , Lina scolded before joining Alexa.

"Well, we should head home," Alexa said.

"See you tomorrow, Alexa. Spectra, Lina, it was nice to meet you," Kukui said.

"Likewise," Lina and Spectra commented. As they walked home with Alexa, Lina and Spectra couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.

Later that night, Alexa, Lina, and Spectra were sitting in Alexa's room. Alexa and Lina were reading a book about regional variants, and Spectra was watching the moon, which seemed to be his favorite pastime. Even Spectra didn't quite understand why, but whenever the opportunity presented itself, he would look up and stare at the moon.

" _That overgrown fish!_ ", Spectra thought angrily. " _How could he have been so rude! The gall! And if that's not the first time that that's happened, I can't imagine how Alexa feels whenever she leaves that shack. If she could just find herself a partner, she could finally be happy and go on her journey. But she needs a pokemon for that, and no starter will even give her a chance."_

Spectra sat silently and thought of ways to help Alexa start her journey, but none of his ideas would work without a pokemon. Then, Spectra had an idea. "Alexa?", he asked.

"Yeah, what's up?", Alexa questioned.

"Maybe he finally got bored of the moon," Lina joked.

"I was wondering," Spectra continued, "if the pokemon you start your journey with has to be one of those starters."

" _What is he doing?_ ", Lina wondered nervously.

"I guess not. I've seen a lot of trainers without Popplio, Litten, or Rowlet. Why do you ask?", Alexa asked.

"Well, I was thinking-", Spectra started to say.

"Spectra, can we talk in private for a moment? Now!", Lina demanded.

Spectra agreed and followed Lina into the hall, closing the door behind him. As soon as he turned around, Lina slapped Spectra in the face. "Are you insane!", Lina scolded.

"You read my mind, didn't you?", Spectra asked disappointedly.

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did! Do you have any idea what will happen if you ask Alexa that!?", Lina said. He knew it was mostly just concern, but Spectra couldn't help but hear the anger in her voice.

"Yes," Spectra replied, "and I don't care. I don't care about the consequences or the responsibility. I can't stand what happened earlier, and I won't let it happen again. Spectra's anger and sadness started to filter into his voice. "Those pitiful starters treat Alexa the same way I've been treated my whole life. I know I can't change the past, but at least I can prevent Alexa from feeling the way I've always felt."

Lina could tell Spectra was dead serious. He was willing to sacrifice his freedom to help this girl, and although she knew she shouldn't, Lina felt a little jealous of Alexa. "You sure about this?", she asked.

"Definitely," Spectra answered.

Lina sighed. "You know, there is such a thing a being too much of a softie! And don't think I'm not coming too!", she demanded.

"You know, you could pretend to be nice every once in a while," Spectra commented. He reopened the door to Alexa's room and the two pokemon climbed on Alexa's bed.

"Sooo?", Alexa asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Right, as I was saying, if what pokemon your partner is doesn't matter, I would be more than willing to fulfill the role," Spectra said.

"Me too!", Lina interjected.

Alexa could feel her heart pounding like a drum. "You - you're serious? You guys wanna be my partners?"

"Yes," the two pokemon replied.

"Alexa, I saw how those starter pokemon treated you, and it's exactly like how I've been treated my whole life. Being rejected over and over, not given a chance at friendship. It tears you apart, and I don't want that to happen to you," Spectra explained.

"Same here," Lina chimed in.

" _Lina...Spectra,_ " Alexa whispered to herself. Her heart was racing like a Rhyhorn now. She had waited so long for a pokemon she could call her partner, and now two were standing right in front of her offering to be her partners.

" _But should I say yes?"_ , Alexa wondered. After what had happened in Ten Carat Hill, Alexa was certain that Lina and Spectra would never want to go anywhere near a battle, much less be in one. "You're absolutely sure? I mean, I'm not saying no, but...," Alexa asked.

"I know that it will involve battling, but it isn't like the kind of battling back in Ten Carat Hill," Spectra commented, knowing what Alexa was worried about. "Before, every battle was a matter of life and death for me. But when trainers and pokemon battle, the consequences aren't as...severe. I'm not saying there won't be pain, but as long as no one dies, I'm fine with battling."

Alexa nodded and looked at Lina. "Battle or no battle, I'll be your partner. I'll always be there for you," Lina said. " _You too Spectra."_

Overwhelmed, Alexa started to sob with joy. "Thanks you guys so much. Of course, I'd want you to be my partners." The girl leaned over and hugged the two pokemon.

"Your welcome," Lina said.

"Um, not to ruin the moment, but I can't breath," Spectra choked. Alexa released him and he began to cough, gasping for air.

"Sorry Spectra," Alexa said, giggling. "So, wait, if you guys are gonna be my partners, you'll need poke balls so other trainers can't catch you," she said.

"Wait, what!?", Spectra growled.

"Well, unless a pokemon has a poke ball, they can be captured by anybody. You wouldn't have to be inside the poke balls all the time. They'd just be like, protecting you from other trainers," Alexa calmly explained.

"I get it," Spectra replied.

"Hang on. Wait right there," Alexa told Lina and Spectra. She then walked to where she'd set down her bag, pulled out a cylindrical box, and walked back over. She pulled the lid and pulled two cherish balls out of the box. "These are cherish balls. They're supposed to be used on a special occasion, or as a symbol of your love for the pokemon inside. I can't think of a better poke ball for you guys."

"Aw, we love you too, Alexa," Lina stated. The two pokemon took the spheres and gently tapped the buttons. Red light shot out of the spheres and surrounded Lina and Spectra, and the two pokemon disappeared inside the cherish balls. The cherish balls shook three times and gave off a thud.

Smiling, Alexa picked up the poke balls and let Spectra and Lina out. "Well, that was...an experience," Lina stated.

"I'm just surprised that your hat stayed on," Spectra commented.

"Well, at least now you won't get kidnapped," Alexa said. She winced, realizing it was probably too early to throw around words like kidnapped.

"No, no, it's alright," Lina assured her.

"I thought we agreed, no more Alexa mind reading!", Alexa said pouting. She knew Lina couldn't always help it, but she still didn't care for the idea of someone being in her head.

Spectra chuckled. "And what do you find so funny, Moon boy?", Alexa snarled.

"Nothing," Spectra assured her. "But please don't use that as a weapon."

"Fine. Well, we should probably get some sleep," Alexa said, causing Spectra to yawn.

"PLEASE!", Lina groaned.


End file.
